Manny Pacquiao to face off with Joshua Clottey
So the big news over the weekend involved pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao moving on from all the drama of his aborted mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather. After Pacquiao rejected a proposed bout against junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman, his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank announced that the boxer will instead face tough welterweight contender Joshua Clottey.
Clottey last outing was a razor-thin split decision against Miguel Cotto, a bout Clottey dominated in the latter rounds. The Ghanaian is renowned for his toughness, havingnever been knocked down in his career never been seriously hurt in his career (he was actually knocked down in the Cotto fight), and would certainly present a unique challenge for Pacquiao. Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook is already salivating over the prospect of the bout: “Clottey is a rock-solid welterweight who has never been stopped, and I don't even recall off the top of my head ever thinking he seemed particularly hurt. He's faced a lot of different styles and done pretty well against them all, from the tall and powerful Antonio Margario to the cunning and savvy Miguel Cotto to fast southpaw Zab Judah. None of those guys are Manny Pacquiao, but Manny Pacquiao's never faced a guy quite like Clottey, either, whose defense can be impenetrable at times. Not exactly the loose counter-punching of Juan Manuel Marquez or the bull-forward style of Ricky Hatton.” At least one blogger thinks that this will be Pacquiao’s biggest challenge yet.
Arum, meanwhile, scored another coup after coming to terms with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hold the fight in the $1.2-billion state-of-the-art Cowboy Stadium, a possibility nixed by Mayweather’s camp. Arum was schmoozing with Jones on the same night that VIPs such as George W. Bush were hanging out at the owner’s luxury suite during the Cowboys’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. The new facility will also be playing host to the NBA All-Star Weekend in February.
(By the way, Arum says Dubya is a big Pacquiao fan. Pacquiao’s Nacionalista Party colleagues Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza must be thrilled. First Bongbong Marcos, now this. Who’s next, Hitler?)
Not to be left out, Mayweather’s promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy, also made noises about moving on as well. According to him, “Pretty Boy Floyd” is looking at a May date with Shane Mosley, to “shut up all those who are saying he's a coward.” This, of course, would still depend on a Mosley victory in his January 30 bout against Andre Berto, which is hardly a given.
These are fighting words from Mayweather’s promoter, and it remains to be seen if Mayweather will come through. The boxer has frustrated fans of the sport for ducking the best competition at the welterweight level over the last few years, skipping bouts against the likes of Mosley, Cotto, Clottey, and Margarito, to preserve his undefeated record. Will Floyd really put his record on the line against a dangerous opponent, or will he take on a scrub like Matthew Hatton or Paulie Malignaggi?
It should be noted that a late spring bout for Mayweather would still leave a fall bout between him and Pacquiao open, should the two parties opt to revisit the mega-fight. But with potentially dangerous opponents (definitely for Pacquiao), neither boxer could really afford to look that far ahead.
UPDATE: Dan Rafael of ESPN reports that it looks like Mayweather will keep the March 13 date too, to go head-to-head with Pacquiao. Bad Left Hook details why this is an awful idea, because of the lack of quality opposition for Mayweather if he does not fight the winner of Mosely-Berto.
Clottey last outing was a razor-thin split decision against Miguel Cotto, a bout Clottey dominated in the latter rounds. The Ghanaian is renowned for his toughness, having
Arum, meanwhile, scored another coup after coming to terms with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hold the fight in the $1.2-billion state-of-the-art Cowboy Stadium, a possibility nixed by Mayweather’s camp. Arum was schmoozing with Jones on the same night that VIPs such as George W. Bush were hanging out at the owner’s luxury suite during the Cowboys’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. The new facility will also be playing host to the NBA All-Star Weekend in February.
(By the way, Arum says Dubya is a big Pacquiao fan. Pacquiao’s Nacionalista Party colleagues Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza must be thrilled. First Bongbong Marcos, now this. Who’s next, Hitler?)
Not to be left out, Mayweather’s promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy, also made noises about moving on as well. According to him, “Pretty Boy Floyd” is looking at a May date with Shane Mosley, to “shut up all those who are saying he's a coward.” This, of course, would still depend on a Mosley victory in his January 30 bout against Andre Berto, which is hardly a given.
These are fighting words from Mayweather’s promoter, and it remains to be seen if Mayweather will come through. The boxer has frustrated fans of the sport for ducking the best competition at the welterweight level over the last few years, skipping bouts against the likes of Mosley, Cotto, Clottey, and Margarito, to preserve his undefeated record. Will Floyd really put his record on the line against a dangerous opponent, or will he take on a scrub like Matthew Hatton or Paulie Malignaggi?
It should be noted that a late spring bout for Mayweather would still leave a fall bout between him and Pacquiao open, should the two parties opt to revisit the mega-fight. But with potentially dangerous opponents (definitely for Pacquiao), neither boxer could really afford to look that far ahead.
UPDATE: Dan Rafael of ESPN reports that it looks like Mayweather will keep the March 13 date too, to go head-to-head with Pacquiao. Bad Left Hook details why this is an awful idea, because of the lack of quality opposition for Mayweather if he does not fight the winner of Mosely-Berto.
Posted by jaemark
on January 11, 2010 at
15:17
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Tags: Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Tags: Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Pacquiao, Cotto, and the savage nature of boxing
Going back to my running theme of how awesome it would be if great Filipino writers started writing more about sports, GMANews.tv editor-in-chief Howie Severino (a friend of this blog, incidentally) penned a thought-provoking piece about violence in boxing, in the context of Manny Pacquiao’s bloody victory over Miguel Cotto, and Z Gorres’ brain injury. Howie points out that while adulation for Pacquiao in the country after his win is universal, there still remains rightful ambivalence about the brutal nature of the sport.
While I mostly agree with most of the points that Howie raised, I would offer the following addenda: first, Cotto is known to be a bleeder, so his bloodied face might have looked worse than it really was; and second, Cotto is a world-class fighter who knows how to protect himself in the ring, and if he is unable to do so, then his corner should do it for him. Cotto’s corner, unfortunately, did not do enough on the second point, leaving their fighter in a terribly precarious situation in the latter rounds against Pacquiao. Cotto’s father already wanted the fight to stop, but the welterweight champion wanted to keep going.
I do wonder though if the real danger for boxers is that more often than not, no one saves them from themselves. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, readily admits that his condition was brought about by the fact that he had one too many fights, carrying on when he clearly should’ve stopped.
Even perhaps the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, was not spared of the fate. Recently, an ESPN documentary was broadcast in the United States detailing Ali’s final fight against then up-and-coming champion Larry Holmes. Ali at the time was way past his prime, but he still believed that he had what it takes to beat Holmes. The result was a one-sided beatdown so brutal that people who were there are still traumatized by the experience. Ali’s doctors, meanwhile, still argue that Ali should never have been allowed to step into the ring. Today Ali, like Roach, suffers from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease.
Boxers generally boast of a toughness not found in any other athlete in the world; indeed, it takes a special kind of bravado to keep going while you’re getting hit in the face. Unfortunately, for a lot of boxers, the bravado remains long after the punching power, the foot speed, and the reflexes have abandoned them. But they look in the mirror and they think they still have what it takes.
I’d love to see Pacquiao fight Mayweather, I really do. But I wouldn’t mind either if he retired right now. At the very least, he’d be able to do something a lot of other boxers have not had the strength to do: walk away with everything intact.
While I mostly agree with most of the points that Howie raised, I would offer the following addenda: first, Cotto is known to be a bleeder, so his bloodied face might have looked worse than it really was; and second, Cotto is a world-class fighter who knows how to protect himself in the ring, and if he is unable to do so, then his corner should do it for him. Cotto’s corner, unfortunately, did not do enough on the second point, leaving their fighter in a terribly precarious situation in the latter rounds against Pacquiao. Cotto’s father already wanted the fight to stop, but the welterweight champion wanted to keep going.
I do wonder though if the real danger for boxers is that more often than not, no one saves them from themselves. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, readily admits that his condition was brought about by the fact that he had one too many fights, carrying on when he clearly should’ve stopped.
Even perhaps the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, was not spared of the fate. Recently, an ESPN documentary was broadcast in the United States detailing Ali’s final fight against then up-and-coming champion Larry Holmes. Ali at the time was way past his prime, but he still believed that he had what it takes to beat Holmes. The result was a one-sided beatdown so brutal that people who were there are still traumatized by the experience. Ali’s doctors, meanwhile, still argue that Ali should never have been allowed to step into the ring. Today Ali, like Roach, suffers from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease.
Boxers generally boast of a toughness not found in any other athlete in the world; indeed, it takes a special kind of bravado to keep going while you’re getting hit in the face. Unfortunately, for a lot of boxers, the bravado remains long after the punching power, the foot speed, and the reflexes have abandoned them. But they look in the mirror and they think they still have what it takes.
I’d love to see Pacquiao fight Mayweather, I really do. But I wouldn’t mind either if he retired right now. At the very least, he’d be able to do something a lot of other boxers have not had the strength to do: walk away with everything intact.
Posted by jaemark
on November 16, 2009 at
22:39
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Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Punch-Drunk: Pacquiao cuts up, then cuts down Cotto
Miguel Cotto knew that when he signed on to fight Manny Pacquiao, he was getting into what was essentially the boxing equivalent of a brutal knife fight. Cotto made sure to bring his knife when he walked into the ring.
The only problem was, Pacquiao decided to bring a chainsaw instead.
Read the rest of my post-fight column at Yahoo's Ringside with Manny
The only problem was, Pacquiao decided to bring a chainsaw instead.
Read the rest of my post-fight column at Yahoo's Ringside with Manny
Posted by jaemark
on November 15, 2009 at
21:08
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Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Boxing mop-up: Manny Pacquiao destroys Miguel Cotto
Fire Quinito rounds up all the best links for Manny Pacquiao’s sensational victory over Miguel Cotto, so you’ll have more time for bidding in Angel Locsin and Anne Curtis’ online auction.
Tim Starks, The Queensberry Rules: “There should be no controversy about this, and no question: Manny Pacquiao fought the best version of Miguel Cotto Saturday night, as Cotto showed by fighting on equal terms with Pacquiao for five rounds, even with a pair of knockdowns. But Pacquiao, as I expected, was the truly transcendent fighter to Cotto’s ultra-elite, and that, in the end was the difference. Pacquiao delivered a frightening beating on Cotto from the 6th round on, before the referee belatedly stepped in Pacquiao’s way in the 12th to save Cotto from nastier punishment.”
SC, Bad Left Hook: “(Pacquiao) was faster, stronger, and better. Miguel Cotto isn't old, wasn't drained, isn't ‘overrated.’ Cotto did all he could tonight, but he was laid to waste by a superior fighter. Pacquiao is now the WBO welterweight titleholder, the seventh weight class in which he's won a major title, the first man to ever do that.”
Doug Fischer, The Ring: “Cotto had a brilliant first round, one of accurate jabs and body-head combinations that kept Pacquiao honest. The second round is arguably the round of the year. The two welterweights traded hard, pin-point combinations for three blistering minutes. Round three was another thrilling round. Cotto was dropped but two of the official judges scored it 10-9 for Pacquiao because the proud Puerto Rican dominated the rest of the round. Three rounds into the fight, members of the ringside press wondered if they were witnessing a ‘great’ fight.”
Ron Borges, Boston Herald: “Cotto had Pacquiao trapped on the ropes for much of the fourth round and seemed to be unable to free himself when he suddenly stepped to the side and reversed the situation, flurrying as he did. Cotto went to the ropes and got hit with a soft right hand and a follow-up left hook that sent him to the floor for the second time, tumbling sideways as he fell. For all intents and purposes the fight was over at that point. The beating commenced.”
Greg Bishop, New York Times: “As the fight wore on, Cotto’s left eye kept swelling, until it looked as if a golf ball was attached. Pacquiao landed punches with both hands: jabs, hooks, upper cuts, a punishing variety. Cotto never quit, but he made a habit of dancing backward. In the ninth round, Pacquiao backed his opponent into the ropes, again and again, until he had rendered Cotto’s face a bloody mess.”
Bill Dwyre, LA Times: “Pacquiao's speed is much discussed, but it remains startling each time it is viewed in person. His offense consists of quick attacks from all angles. He is there, then he is gone. And in that time, four or five shots have been landed that quickly result in swollen cheeks and cut eyes and deflated expectations. About Pacquiao's punches, Cotto said, ‘I didn't know where they were coming from.’ For nearly 12 rounds, Cotto was like a guy locked in a dark room with a hundred swooping bats.”
Tim Starks, The Queensberry Rules: “There should be no controversy about this, and no question: Manny Pacquiao fought the best version of Miguel Cotto Saturday night, as Cotto showed by fighting on equal terms with Pacquiao for five rounds, even with a pair of knockdowns. But Pacquiao, as I expected, was the truly transcendent fighter to Cotto’s ultra-elite, and that, in the end was the difference. Pacquiao delivered a frightening beating on Cotto from the 6th round on, before the referee belatedly stepped in Pacquiao’s way in the 12th to save Cotto from nastier punishment.”
SC, Bad Left Hook: “(Pacquiao) was faster, stronger, and better. Miguel Cotto isn't old, wasn't drained, isn't ‘overrated.’ Cotto did all he could tonight, but he was laid to waste by a superior fighter. Pacquiao is now the WBO welterweight titleholder, the seventh weight class in which he's won a major title, the first man to ever do that.”
Doug Fischer, The Ring: “Cotto had a brilliant first round, one of accurate jabs and body-head combinations that kept Pacquiao honest. The second round is arguably the round of the year. The two welterweights traded hard, pin-point combinations for three blistering minutes. Round three was another thrilling round. Cotto was dropped but two of the official judges scored it 10-9 for Pacquiao because the proud Puerto Rican dominated the rest of the round. Three rounds into the fight, members of the ringside press wondered if they were witnessing a ‘great’ fight.”
Ron Borges, Boston Herald: “Cotto had Pacquiao trapped on the ropes for much of the fourth round and seemed to be unable to free himself when he suddenly stepped to the side and reversed the situation, flurrying as he did. Cotto went to the ropes and got hit with a soft right hand and a follow-up left hook that sent him to the floor for the second time, tumbling sideways as he fell. For all intents and purposes the fight was over at that point. The beating commenced.”
Greg Bishop, New York Times: “As the fight wore on, Cotto’s left eye kept swelling, until it looked as if a golf ball was attached. Pacquiao landed punches with both hands: jabs, hooks, upper cuts, a punishing variety. Cotto never quit, but he made a habit of dancing backward. In the ninth round, Pacquiao backed his opponent into the ropes, again and again, until he had rendered Cotto’s face a bloody mess.”
Bill Dwyre, LA Times: “Pacquiao's speed is much discussed, but it remains startling each time it is viewed in person. His offense consists of quick attacks from all angles. He is there, then he is gone. And in that time, four or five shots have been landed that quickly result in swollen cheeks and cut eyes and deflated expectations. About Pacquiao's punches, Cotto said, ‘I didn't know where they were coming from.’ For nearly 12 rounds, Cotto was like a guy locked in a dark room with a hundred swooping bats.”
Continue reading "Boxing mop-up: Manny Pacquiao destroys Miguel Cotto"
Posted by jaemark
on November 15, 2009 at
20:27
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Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Pacquiao-Cotto 24/7: Finale gives little comfort to Manny fans for the main event
Editor’s note: Manny Pacquiao’s versus Miguel Cotto is only a few hours away, and the two fighters are just about ready to put their training camps behind them. After tumultuous camps in Baguio, Manila, and Hollywood, the finale of Pacquiao-Cotto 24/7 turns to the Pacquiao camp in the bright lights of Las Vegas, with the fighter looking fierce and fearless heading into the fight.
So, we’re just a few hours away from the fight and I finally got to watch the final episode of the series. In all honesty, the anticipation has gotten to the point where I’m too nervous to write and the last episode did absolutely nothing to calm those nerves, but I’ll give it a shot.
The show opened, as usual, with a recap of the previous episodes. It was a bit appropriate that the first thing it showed was Roach belittling Cotto’s young trainer Joe Santiago. Appropriate because before the episode aired, I was able to catch the weigh in for the fight, and right after Cotto had his turn at the scales (right on the button at 145 pounds and looking very mean in his Iron Man undies), the trainers got into a verbal tussle started by Santiago who apparently told Roach “one forty-five asshole!”. This was in response, I would wager, to the doubts circulating about Cotto making the catch-weight. If there were any doubts of Roach’s mind games getting inside Santiago’s head, I’d say that would settle it right there.
After this we’re once again, treated to clips of Manny’s continued rise in popularity as he attends an event sponsored by Nike promoting their new line of hoodies. Roach steals the scene by exclaiming “who the fuck knows” when asked what they were doing there. The clip thankfully ends right before Pacquiao belts out a tune for the audience.
Joining the long list of celebrities making an appearance in a 24/7 episode is the ultimate underdog himself, Rocky Balboa, a.k.a Sylvester Stallone. There’s something unsettling about hearing Stallone, best known for playing a man who always beats the odds, saying “I feel sorry for Cotto,” considering that the betting odds are heavily against the Boricua slugger.
As training winds down in camp Pacquiao we get some more clips of him getting ready, and while the footage of him doing mitts is very reassuring, the sparring footage, once again, fails to impress. Roach, however, sounds as confident as ever saying that despite the typhoon and all the B.S. surrounding the camp (it was satisfying to hear Roach include adviser Michael Koncz’s name in the list of “all the B.S”) Pacquiao knows how to separate it all from what’s important—the game plan.
While we all know that the recent typhoons have added another layer of importance to the fight, it appears though that it isn’t only Pacquiao who has to deal with tragedies. We learn in this episode, that Freddy Roach recently lost his brother a few months ago. It was sad and admirable hearing Roach talk about how hard it was to deal with the loss and yet say that his brother would understand that training Pacquiao was the priority.
Every time the focus of the show shifts to Cotto’s training camp, I always get worried. They all just seemed focus, and this time, when it’s revealed that Pacquiao’s 3 time cut man Joe Chavez jumped ship to join team Cotto, it really doesn’t help the sinking feeling I get. And while the weigh in results dispelled all theories of Cotto having a hard time making weight, it was funny seeing him getting pissed at pal Brian Perez for eating too much while the boxer is apparently starving. I guess Cotto is a hungry fighter in more ways than one.
Part of me is disappointed that the series featured less training and sparring scenes, and more scenes about the fighters and the people surrounding them, but I can’t deny that what was shown in the series was fascinating at best and interesting at worst. Still, chills ran up my spine when the finale finished off in vintage fashion, with the best of the best training scenes being shown hand in hand with the top notch soundtrack and narration.
I’ve read so many predictions, watched so many shows and features regarding the bout. But with the fight looming ahead, I can’t help but feel a bit helpless about how things will turn out tomorrow. Because in the end, it’s all up to the fighters to forge their legacies with the blood they’ll shed in the ring. And we, as spectators armed with the insight the shows have provided, are left to ponder about how all of it will figure in the history that these fighters are sure to make tomorrow.
So, we’re just a few hours away from the fight and I finally got to watch the final episode of the series. In all honesty, the anticipation has gotten to the point where I’m too nervous to write and the last episode did absolutely nothing to calm those nerves, but I’ll give it a shot.
The show opened, as usual, with a recap of the previous episodes. It was a bit appropriate that the first thing it showed was Roach belittling Cotto’s young trainer Joe Santiago. Appropriate because before the episode aired, I was able to catch the weigh in for the fight, and right after Cotto had his turn at the scales (right on the button at 145 pounds and looking very mean in his Iron Man undies), the trainers got into a verbal tussle started by Santiago who apparently told Roach “one forty-five asshole!”. This was in response, I would wager, to the doubts circulating about Cotto making the catch-weight. If there were any doubts of Roach’s mind games getting inside Santiago’s head, I’d say that would settle it right there.
After this we’re once again, treated to clips of Manny’s continued rise in popularity as he attends an event sponsored by Nike promoting their new line of hoodies. Roach steals the scene by exclaiming “who the fuck knows” when asked what they were doing there. The clip thankfully ends right before Pacquiao belts out a tune for the audience.
Joining the long list of celebrities making an appearance in a 24/7 episode is the ultimate underdog himself, Rocky Balboa, a.k.a Sylvester Stallone. There’s something unsettling about hearing Stallone, best known for playing a man who always beats the odds, saying “I feel sorry for Cotto,” considering that the betting odds are heavily against the Boricua slugger.
As training winds down in camp Pacquiao we get some more clips of him getting ready, and while the footage of him doing mitts is very reassuring, the sparring footage, once again, fails to impress. Roach, however, sounds as confident as ever saying that despite the typhoon and all the B.S. surrounding the camp (it was satisfying to hear Roach include adviser Michael Koncz’s name in the list of “all the B.S”) Pacquiao knows how to separate it all from what’s important—the game plan.
While we all know that the recent typhoons have added another layer of importance to the fight, it appears though that it isn’t only Pacquiao who has to deal with tragedies. We learn in this episode, that Freddy Roach recently lost his brother a few months ago. It was sad and admirable hearing Roach talk about how hard it was to deal with the loss and yet say that his brother would understand that training Pacquiao was the priority.
Every time the focus of the show shifts to Cotto’s training camp, I always get worried. They all just seemed focus, and this time, when it’s revealed that Pacquiao’s 3 time cut man Joe Chavez jumped ship to join team Cotto, it really doesn’t help the sinking feeling I get. And while the weigh in results dispelled all theories of Cotto having a hard time making weight, it was funny seeing him getting pissed at pal Brian Perez for eating too much while the boxer is apparently starving. I guess Cotto is a hungry fighter in more ways than one.
Part of me is disappointed that the series featured less training and sparring scenes, and more scenes about the fighters and the people surrounding them, but I can’t deny that what was shown in the series was fascinating at best and interesting at worst. Still, chills ran up my spine when the finale finished off in vintage fashion, with the best of the best training scenes being shown hand in hand with the top notch soundtrack and narration.
I’ve read so many predictions, watched so many shows and features regarding the bout. But with the fight looming ahead, I can’t help but feel a bit helpless about how things will turn out tomorrow. Because in the end, it’s all up to the fighters to forge their legacies with the blood they’ll shed in the ring. And we, as spectators armed with the insight the shows have provided, are left to ponder about how all of it will figure in the history that these fighters are sure to make tomorrow.
Posted by alekos
on November 14, 2009 at
22:36
| Comments (2)
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Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
Tags: Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto
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